We get stuck in a crypt, have a Yoko Ono experience, and see a newer castle.

Hello again!
It's a canny* time we're having up in Newcastle (*canny = good). After a few more days in and around London, including a bit of hob-nobbing at Harrods (The most delicious bottled water ..... :>) we got a train from King's Cross to the North of England to visit Andy's Aunt Shiela and Uncle Alf. The train went through Peterborough, York, and Darlington, and sailed through the edge of the Yorkshire Dales (Evan getting to see the area of his most loved TV show - 'All Creatures Great and Small' - which was perhaps enhanced (?) by Andy pittifully whistling the theme tune over and over ... and then announcing that he wondered if the show was more popular with adults who have an animal 'bias' in bedroom.... a new thought!) as well as past Durham cathedral (enjoyed without such enhancements).

Newcastle is a large, vibrant city on the North Sea close to the Scottish border, Hadrian's Wall and (strangely) a small sheep town called Bellingham (but pronounced Bell-in-jam) (don't know why). The "new" castle (which we saw today) is actually from the 11th century, which to us doesn't seem particularly new, but compared to the older castles (ooh, around 1st century/Roman ruins) ... well you get the idea!

So sightseeing so far has included a drive to the old Abbey town of Hexham (we took notice Diane!). Touring the Abbey was cool until we ventured into the 7th century crypt to see the altar where Saint Andrew's bits and bobs (I think they're correctly referred to as relics) were once displayed. It was dark, dismal and creepy - bricked up spots made us think of happless nuns getting en-tombed for showing an ankle to the local bishop.... but got decidely more creepy when Evan heard a clicking lock, and we discovered we had been locked in!!!! Fortunately we were discovered before we had to start eating one another or screaming, or both.

After that we went tourist-ing it around Newcastle center - seeing the bridges and various landmarks. Some of the architecture is great - we loved the Sage building (looks like a horizontal bottle) and the old stone work. Also checked out the Yoko Ono art exhibit at the Baltic art gallery ..... as the Nan on the Catherine Tate show would say, "What a load of old S**T!" Mmmm.

Tomorrow we head to York - the most haunted city in the world, and our next adventure.
More soon....

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"And of course you can't become, if you only say what you would have done" (LEN 'Steal My Sunshine')